The week in pictures

From anti-rape protests in India to rebels' advance in the Central African Republic, see this week in images.

Sun Dec 30 2012 10:43:07 GMT+0000

Indian protesters hold candles during a rally in New Delhi on December 29 after the death of a student who was gang-raped in the Indian capital. Indian leaders appealed for calm fearing fresh outbursts of protests after her death. New Delhi\(***)s top police officer and chief minister have urged people to mourn her death in a peaceful manner as large parts of the city centre were sealed off.

A Central African Republic military convoy drives on a road going to Sibut, 160 kilometres north of the capital Bangui. Sibut was seized by the rebel coalition Seleka on December 29. Authorities in Bangui have imposed today a nighttime curfew as fighters from the rebel coalition move closer to the city, according to a government decree.

US President Barack Obama pauses during remarks to reporters after meeting with congressional leaders at the White House in Washington on December 28. Obama held out hope for a last-minute agreement to avoid a "fiscal cliff" of tax increases and spending cuts after a meeting with congressional leaders, scolding Congress for leaving the problem unresolved until the eleventh hour.

Pakistani volunteers look for survivors following a blast in a bus in Karachi, Pakistan. The blast ripped through the bus, setting the vehicle on fire and reducing it to little more than a charred skeleton. Six were killed and at least 40 injured. Police were trying to determine whether the explosion was caused by a bomb or a gas cylinder, said a police spokesman.

Iraqi protesters pray during a demonstration in Ramadi, Anbar(***)s provincial capital, on December 28, calling for the release of prisoners they allege were arrested on sectarian grounds by Iraq(***)ss Shia-led authorities. Protesters have been demonstrating in Ramadi since December 23, blocking the main highway to Syria and Jordan for days.

A Free Syrian Army fighter stands near a damaged building at the front line in Aleppo city. Syria faces "hell" if no deal is struck to end 21 months of bloodshed, an international mediator said on Saturday, but his talks in Russia brought no sign of a breakthrough after a week of intense diplomacy.

On Saturday, Bolivian President Evo Morales nationalised electricity distribution subsidiaries of the Spanish energy company Iberdrola, and issued a decree allowing the takeover of shares in Empresa de Electricidad de La Paz (Electropaz) and Empresa de Luz y Fuerza de Oruro (Elfeo), which supply energy in the Andean nation. Above, military police stand guard outside Transportadora de Electricidad,
which belongs to Spanish company Red Electrica, in La Paz, Bolivia, but
which was nationalised in May.

Pakistani singer Muhammad Shahid Nazir is kissed by his mother Kalsoom Akhtar on his return from Britain in Lahore on December 27. Pakistani Internet sensation One Pound Fish Man came home to a hero\(***)s welcome, vowing to return to Europe to promote his catchy ditty in honour of cut-price piscatorial produce in France.